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(No Model.)

H. R. ALLEN.

CUTTER BAR LIFTER FOB. MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES No. 268,376. 7 Patented Dec. 5, 1882.

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N'ITED STATES PATENT "OFFI E.

HORACE It. ALLEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CUTTER-BAR LIFTER FOR MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,376, dated December 5,1882,

Application filed December 27, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. HORACE R. ALLEN, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gutter-Bar Lifters for Mowing and Reaping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to raise the cutter-bars of mowing or such like machines by power from the machine itself, instead of by the common hand-lever, as hasbeen usual. This object is accomplished by mounting a gear-wheel upon "the axle of the machine, providing a shaft which shall run from a point in close proximity to said gear-wheel to a point above the heel of the cutter-bar, mounting upon one end of said shaft a wheel adapted to engage with the wheel on the axle, and upon the other a crank'arm connecting said crank-arm to the cutter-bar by a rod, chain, or rope, and providing means whereby the wheel on the shaft shall be thrown intoor out of engagement with the wheel on the axle, as it is desired to lift the cutter-bar or otherwise, as will hereinafter be more specifically set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a parthereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a top or plan view of a mowing-machine provided with my invention, cer-v tain parts being broken away to show the same more clearly; Fig. 2, a view looking toward the center of the machine from the dotted line as w,- and Fig. 3, a front elevation of the parts involved in my invention, as seen from the dotted line y y.

In said drawings, the portions marked A representthe axle of the machine; B, the wheel thereon; G, the lifting-shaft; D, the wheel thereon, which engages with the wheel B; E, a lever by which said engagementis controlled; F, the crank-arm on the forward end of said shaft; G, the chain or rod which connects said arm to the cutter-bar, and H the cutter-bar.

The portions of the machine which do not have some immediate connection with or relation to my invention are not lettered or described, as such parts might be replaced with any of the other forms employed in machines of this character.

The shaft 0 is mounted in a bearing, C, on

the frame-work and a bearm g, 0 on the portion of the machine or its tongue nearest its forward end. The bearing 0, carrying the rear end of this shaft, is moved back and forth by the lever E, and the wheels B and D are thus thrown into or out of engagement, and the shaft G thus rotated or permitted to remain motionless. When the shaft is rotated the outer end of the arm F thereon is thereby raised and with it the cutter-bar, which is connected thereto by means of the rod or chain G. A ratchet-wheel, 0 may be mounted upon this shaft 0, and a pawl, 0 arranged to engage therewith to hold said shaft in position and prevent the cutter-bar from falling from its raised position when the lever is thrown back and the wheels B and D disengaged.

These wheels B and D may be either bevel-gear wheels, as shown, or clutches or gears of other forms, or friction-wheels, as may be preferred. There are no cogs or other engaging devices upon a portion of the face of the gear-wheel D. (See Fig. 2.) This is so that when it reaches such a point in its revolution that the.

cogless part comes opposite the wheel B it will be permitted to remain stationary, notwithstanding the continued rotation of said wheel B. This arrangement only permits the shaft 0 to revolve about half-way around, and therefore prevents the lifting-arm F from being raised so far as to endanger either a breakage or stopping of the machine.

The shaft'G would of course run rearward instead of forward in a rear-cut machine, and the gears would engage upon the opposite side.

The operation of this invention is as follows: When it is desired to raise the cutter-bar the handle'of the lever B is pushed by the operator, which throws the lower end in toward the center of the machine and with it the end of the shaft 0 and wheel D, which is thus brought into engagementrwith the wheel B on the axle A, which axle, being in rotation, drives said shaft around and raises the arm F, which is rigidly mounted thereon, thus pulling up the cutter-bar H by means of the chain G, which connects it to said arm. When the cogless portion of the wheel D comes around opposite the wheel B the former, as well as the shaft 0, ceases to rotate, and the lifting is thereby discontinued. The pawl c engages with the wheel 0 as is most plainly shown in Fig. 3, I

and prevents any retrogression on the part of the shaft 0 and the parts mounted thereon until said pawl is released.

Having thus fully described my said invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a mowing or like machine, of the axle thereto, a wheel thereon, a shaft running forward from said axle, mounted in a movable bearing at its rear end, and having a wheel on said end, which, by means of said movable bearing, is adapted to become engaged with or disengaged from the wheel on the axle, and provided with an arm on its other end, which is connected with the cutterbar, a bar or chainconnecting said arm and said cutter-bar, and said cutter-bar, whereby when said wheels are engaged and said shaft is thereby rotated said cutter-bar will be lifted, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the shaft or axle A and the shaft 0, the latter of which runs transversely to the former, and is adapted to be moved, as specified, by means ofa sliding bearing at one end, and is connected to the cutterbar at the other end, both said axle and said shaft being provided with gear-wheels, which are adapted to become engaged with each other, but the one on said shaft being provided with cogs on a portion of its face only, whereby the other is prevented from causing the cutter-bar to belifted too far, notwithstanding its continued rotation, all substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 19th day of December, A. D. 1881.

HORACE R. ALLEN. 1n presence of- O. L. THURBER, 0. BRADFORD. 

